~~~~~Previously~~~~~

A new year has begun and some new faces have arrived. Alex has hopes of finding his brother and the new guy, Lyon, has put him down a little. Two new fairies, Abigail and Felicity, have arrived at Alfea and are already enemies. A new evil has arisen and threatens the lives of all fairies. And who is Daniel really? Find out now. ~~~~~~

Dark Castle

A lone figure sat upon a dark throne, with only torches to light the room. "Draegan. I have a mission for you."

Stepping out of the shadows was a young man with spiky red hair, parted to one side. As he stepped further into the light, his yellow eyes began to shine. He wore a red long sleeve shirt with a scale design and a black gem in the center. The rest of his outfit consisted of black pants with a scale design, red boots, and a black choker with a red amulet attached.

"What do you wish of me my lord?" Draegan asked.

"There is a certain boy that I want you to find." The figure smirked a little before continuing. "Convince him to join us. He could prove to be quite useful. This boy is hiding out in Gloomy Wood Forest. Do not fail me Draegan."

Draegan nodded and disappeared in a burst of flames. 'This should be interesting.'

"Soon we will make our presence known."

Alfea

"You girls are never going to believe what I heard." Carmen said, running into the dorm.

"What time is it?" Rachel asked.

"It's only six in the morning." Carmen said.

Rachel sighed and sat up in bed. "What could possibly be so important that you have to wake us up this early? Classes don't start until nine today."

"Is she always up this early?" Felicity asked.

"Don't ask me. I really hope this isn't a everyday thing." Abigail replied.

Felicity sat up and sighed a little. "That is definitely one thing we can agree on."

Within a matter of minutes, all the girls walked into the living room and took a seat. They were all half asleep, except for Carmen. None of them could understand why she had so much energy and they didn't want to know.

"Why couldn't you wait until later to tell us your news?" Catarina asked.

Rosella rubbed her eyes and yawned a little. "Hurry up and tell us what you heard Carmen?"

Carmen laughed a little before speaking. "There's talk of a new student."

"Is that really what you woke us up for?" Rachel asked with a annoyed tone.

"It's the beginning of the year Carmen. Someone always talks about the new students." Catarina said.

Carmen sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. "That's not what I mean. Apparently, this new student isn't even staying here. Whoever this person is has decided to camp out at Lake Roccaluce. And they are even getting private lessons."

"Now that is interesting." Felicity said.

Abigail nodded and stretched out. "Why wouldn't this person stay here at the school?"

"That is an interesting question." Catarina said. "Maybe they are nervous about coming here."

Rachel stretched out and stood up. "Well, there's no point in going back to sleep. We have three hours until class starts. What should we do in the meantime?"

"We could go for a nature hike." Abigail said.

Felicity crossed her arms and leaned back against the couch. "That doesn't sound great at all."

"I think it sounds like a great idea." Carmen said. "We might even run into the mystery student."

"Where does all that energy come from?" Rachel asked.

Lake Roccaluce

Daniel awoke and walked to the edge of the water. 'It's only a little after six, but I'm wide awake. At least I have some free time before my lessons start. It is a little strange being here, but I could get used to things. I have to learn how to use my magic.'

"Are you always up this early?" A male voice asked.

Daniel turned around and smiled upon seeing his brother. "What are you doing here Asher?"

Asher smiled and walked up to the water. He had red hair tied up in a high pony tail and blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a black long sleeve shirt, black pants, black boots with a red sole, red gloves, and a red cape.

"I wanted to see you on your first day Daniel. Why are you out here?"

Daniel sighed and looked out across the water. "It's better for me if I stay out here. I'm not sure if I could handle being around all those girls. Besides, I would stick out like a sore thumb."

Asher laughed a little and stretched out. "You're quite the lucky one brother. Daniel, you should be proud to be here. Although, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to be around all those girls. I'm sure that you could easily find a girlfriend."

"I have no interest in that sort of thing." Daniel said. "I will wait a little while before going to stay at the college. It's just that, I don't want to draw any attention to myself."

Asher sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just be careful Daniel. I heard about a fairy being attacked the other day. The attack happened not too far from here."

"You don't have to worry about me Asher." Daniel said. "I promise that I will be careful. There are very few people that know I'm a fairy after all."

Asher nodded and turned his attention to the water. "This place reminds me of home. Don't forget to drop in every now and then. Well, I should get going. I will see you some other time." With that, he turned and walked off. 'You have no idea what is really going on dear brother.'

Gloomy Wood Forest

Rave sat up against a tree and stared up at the sky. 'Why did I let him live? At least no one has found me out here yet. Besides, I will have another chance to take him down.'

"You must be the one I was sent here to find."

Rave quickly jumped up and looked around as his sais formed in his hands. "Who are you? Show yourself."

Draegan chuckled a little and stepped out into view. "Do you actually think those little knives of yours will be enough? Relax alright. I didn't come here to fight you."

"I won't ask again." Rave said, glaring a little. "Who are you?"

Draegan sighed and pulled out his phoenix dagger. "My name is Draegan and you are Rave. Am I right?"

Rave narrowed his eyes and stood ready to attack. "How do you know who I am?"

Draegan snickered, keeping his eyes focused on his dagger. "I am quite familiar with your family. And I heard about everything that happened last year. Taking down Red Fountain is quite impressive, but it's not very original. Tell me something. Why did you let your brother go?"

"That's none of your business." Rave said.

Draegan smirked and looked up at Rave. "Perhaps you just weren't strong enough or maybe you have a soft spot for him."

Rave growled a little and threw one of his sais at Draegan. "I do not have a soft spot for him."

Draegan took notice to the sai and caught it between his fingers. "What if I told you that I knew someone that could help you get rid of him?"

Rave wasn't sure what to do next. He was completely shocked that Draegan was able to catch his blade so easily. "I'm not interested in anything you have to offer. I will deal with my brother on my own terms."

Draegan examined the sai in his hand before throwing it back at Rave. The blade struck him in the shoulder, pinning him to the tree. "You will be coming with me whether you want to or not. My master is very interested in you and I have no intention of going back empty handed." Smirking a little, he charged at Rave and stabbed him in his other shoulder.

Rave cried out in pain and struggled to get free. "Release me."

"Don't make things even harder for yourself." Draegan said. "You're not going anywhere. If you're going to put up this much of a fight, I have no other choice. Phoenix Fire Cage." At that moment, a cage of fire formed around Rave. "Don't even think about trying to escape from that." He then pulled out the blades and took a step back.

Rave winced in pain and fell to his knees. "What's happening to me? I feel so weak."

"This is a special cage." Draegan said. "It drains the energy of anyone inside. I told you that you would be coming with me."

Rave struggled to stand up, only to fall to the ground. 'I can't move.'

Draegan smirked and grabbed on to the cage. "I don't fail my missions. Too bad for you." Laughing, he disappeared into flames.

Red Fountain

"Spending a day with Rosella will make me feel so much better." Alex said.

Rexx smiled and nodded his head. "It will definitely be nice to get out and spend time with the girls."

"Someone seems to be a little excited to see Carmen." Gale said, smiling a little.

Rexx chuckled a little and placed his hands behind his head. "Don't act like you're not happy to see Catarina."

"Do you only think about girls?" Zane asked.

Alex laughed and stretched out a little. "I'm sure that Rachel is on your mind Zane."

"We need to work on finding Colton a girlfriend." Rexx said.

Colton blushed a little and turned away from the others. "You really don't need to do that. Besides, I'm really shy when it comes to girls."

"You will be fine Colton." Alex said. "We'll be there to help. Rosella did say that they were bringing along some new friends."

Zane sighed and focused his attention on what was in front of them. "I do want to see Rachel, but that doesn't mean that I spend a lot of time thinking about girls."

"Perhaps we should invite Lyon." Colton said.

"Why would you want to invite him?" Alex asked. "I was hoping to get away from that guy."

Gale sighed a little and shook his head. "It sounds like a good idea to me. The least we could do is try to be friends with him."

"I will try to be friends with him alright." Alex said. "Although, I highly doubt that he will want to come with us."

Zaven looked up at the school and released a small breath. Upon taking notice to Alex, he smiled a little. "Don't tell me that you're giving up before you've even tried."

"Dad." Alex said. "What are you doing here and where have you been?"

Zaven sighed and crossed his arms a little. "It's a long story. Have you seen your brother?"

"Not since last year." Alex said. "He took off without a trace."

'I wonder why Zaven has showed up here.' Saladin thought.

"Do you know him?" Helia asked.

Saladin nodded, keeping his gaze on Zaven. "His name is Zaven. He was missing for a while. And I doubt that he's here for a visit. Something seems off."

"I see." Zaven said. "I will tell you everything some other time. Right now I have business to take care of. Just be careful alright. There's something strange going on." Without saying another word, he walked off out of sight.

"What was that all about?" Rexx asked.

"I'm not sure." Alex said. "Let's stay alert alright. If something really is going on, we need to be ready."

Meanwhile

"It's good to know you're alright Zaven." Saladin said.

Zaven smiled and nodded. "It's nice to see you Saladin."

"What brings you here my friend?" Saladin asked.

"Someone is targeting fairies." Zaven said. "Moira and I found a young girl unconscious. She was definitely attacked by something, but we can't be sure what."

Saladin looked out the window, lost in thought. "I could sense that something was wrong and you have just confirmed my suspicions. Where is Moira now?"

"On her way to Alfea." Zaven said. "However, that's not the worst of it. Whoever attacked her, took her essence."

"Essence?" Helia asked.

"Fairy essence." Saladin said. "It's the source of their magic. Without it, they are left powerless and completely defenseless. Our top priority must be figuring out who or what is behind this. Until then, the fairies will need to be protected."

"What would someone want with fairy essence?" Zaven asked.

"I have no idea, but it can't be good." Saladin said.

Alfea

Moira carried the young fairy into the hospital and gently laid her down. "Stay strong young one."

"What happened to her?" Ofelia asked.

"I can't be sure." Moira said. "All I know is that her essence has been stolen."

Ofelia gasped and turned to the fairy. "Not much can be done until her essence is restored."

"I know." Moira said. "That's why I have to talk to Faragonda."

Ofelia nodded and watched as Moira walked off. 'How could this have happened?'

Moira walked into Faragonda's office and took a seat. "Good afternoon Faragonda."

"Moira." Faragonda said. "It's good to know that you are safe. What did you need to see me about?"

Moira nodded and sighed a little. "It's about the girl I brought in. Someone is gathering fairy essence."

"That is a serious problem." Faragonda said. "However, we must keep this a secret from the students. The last thing we need to do is start a panic."

Moira tried to relax, but the thought of the danger completely frightened her. "I understand. However, we will have to tell them at some point. What about that boy, Daniel? It would not be safe for him to stay out in the open."

"I completely agree Moira." Faragonda said. "However, Daniel's situation is complicated. He wouldn't be comfortable staying here at the school. Keep in mind that he would be the only male fairy attending."

Moira stood up and turned her attention to the window. "And that is why he needs to be here. A male fairy is very rare to come by. If the wrong person were to find out, he would be in danger."

"Perhaps there is a way to convince him, but we mustn't rush things. Whoever is stealing fairy essence will need him, if the legend is true."

Moira released a small sigh and nodded. "There is a high chance that the legends are true. Let's just hope that whoever is behind this, can be stopped before then."

Dark Castle

A shadowy figure appeared in front of Rave's cage and just stared, smirking a little. At this point, Rave was too weak to open his eyes. The effects of the phoenix cage had almost completely drained his energy. He couldn't even be sure as to why he was targeted in the first place. It was true that he wanted revenge against his brother, but he wanted to do things his way. The figure grabbed on to the bars and laughed a little.

"Look at how pathetic you are. That's right, you can't even open your eyes. However, I know that you can hear me and you will do exactly as I say. You will find that trying to resist is futile. I want that brother of yours out of the way and you are going to get rid of him for me. And before you kill him, you will take his ice magic."

Rave winced a little and struggled to open his eyes. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't take orders from anyone. I will deal with my brother on my terms." 'Ice magic? Why would this guy want ice magic from Alex? He doesn't even use magic unless his bow has given him some. There has to be another reason why this guy is so interested in Alex.'

"I never said that you had a choice in the matter." Smiling a little, the shadow pulled out a blood red sword. "Do you know what this is?"

Rave looked towards the blade as a look of fear came over him. "That's a shadow blade."

"You know shadow weapons quite well, considering you use them yourself. Your blades should have overtaken you by now, but something is blocking it. This sword is infused with dark fire magic and I have complete control over it. I must say that you are strong to be able to resist the effects of the darkness. How long do you think you can keep it up? The shadow sais are evil and they will consume you. It's just a matter of time. Until that time, I control the shadows within you. In other words, you have no other choice to obey."

Rave could only listen to the words of the shadow, unable to move any longer. After a few minutes passed, his vision faded. 'He's going to use the shadows to control me. Why does this always happen to me? Someone is always trying to use me for their own personal gain. However, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. No one knows I'm here, not that anyone would come for me anyways. I'm starting to want Alex now. Something must truly be wrong with me. It's all because of that fairy, Rosella.'

"Fall into unconsciousness Rave and let the shadows take control." With that, the figure disappeared and chuckled.

Cloud Tower

"I can't believe that I'm actually here." Neva said, walking into the school. "The whole idea of being here makes me sick, but orders are orders." Chuckling a little, she made her way into her dorm and relaxed on a empty bed. 'This room once belonged to the legendary Trix. Now those were some witches I could get behind. It's a shame that they are no longer around.'

Red Fountain

'It would seem that all the schools are allowing students of both genders now.' Krista thought, staring up at the structure before her. 'I could give these boys a run for their money.' She made her way into her dorm, a room on the opposite side of the school, away from the boys. 'I even get my own personal room away from the idiots that attend her. Still, I don't like the idea of being here. Good thing this only temporary.'

"Have you guys heard about the girl that is now attending here?" Rexx asked.

"I heard something about that." Gale said. "All the schools are starting to allow both genders of students. Alfea was the first to allow it. It's all because of some male fairy."

Alex looked over to Gale, with a small look of shock upon his face. "A male fairy. I didn't think any existed."

"There are only a handful of male fairies left." Gale said. "It's very rare that one is actually seen. No one knows who he is, aside from the teachers. It's a way of protecting him."

Lyon walked up to the three specialists and smirked. "I believe that he is too afraid to show himself. He sounds pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"That's not true and you know it." Alex said, glaring a little.

Lyon chuckled a little and turned his attention to Alex. "Is that so? He's pathetic, along with that brother of yours."

"If it's a fight you want, then bring it on." Alex said, attempting to punch Lyon. Before the punch could hit, he was stopped by Rexx and pushed back by Gale.

Gale stood between Alex and Lyon, trying to keep the peace. "Alex, you need to calm down. We don't need to fight between ourselves. Go somewhere and cool down."

"Let's go Alex." Rexx said, pulling him away from Gale and Lyon. "Forget about him alright."

Lyon snickered a little and watched Alex walk away. "Go ahead and walk away. You know I'm right."

"That's enough." Gale said. "You shouldn't talk about such things like that with him. And another thing, you shouldn't talk about someone you've never even met either."

Lyon turned his attention to Gale and glared a little. "So this is what you do. I only speak the truth."

"How can you speak truth when it comes to people you don't know?" Gale asked. "You don't act as if you even want to be here, but something tells me that you don't have a choice."

"You don't know me." Lyon said. "And I don't have to explain myself to you. He knows exactly what his brother is. All I did was say it out loud."

Gale sighed and shook his head a little. "And you don't know Alex. You have no idea what he's been through. Look, a few of us are heading into the city this weekend. You're welcome to come along if you want." Before Lyon could respond, he walked off in the same direction as Rexx and Alex.

Lyon watched Gale walk off and smirked a little. "As if I would actually want to hang around your little friends."

"I still don't think it's a good idea to invite him." Alex said.

Rexx crossed his arms and turned his attention to Gale. "I don't know how well things will turn out Gale. Perhaps inviting Lyon wasn't a great idea."

"Give him time you two." Gale said. "We don't know anything about him, but I have a good idea of where he's from."

"And where is that?" Alex asked.

"The dark half of Mystea." Gale said. "It would explain his aggressive nature. I've met people from there and he's just like them. Besides, he's part of our team and we must learn to work with him. Even if he doesn't want to."

Lake Roccaluce

"It's almost time for my first lesson." Daniel said, staring at his reflection. He continued to stare at the water until a small stream of it hit him in the face. Wiping his face dry, he turned back to the water to find his pet turtle. "Sorry Milo, but I don't have much time left to play. I see that you are in your sea form. This is the perfect place for you. The perfect place for us both."

Forest Around Lake Roccaluce

"I don't see any trace of anyone out here." Rosella said.

Carmen led the group of fairies, determined to find the mysterious male fairy. "He has to around here somewhere. I want to know who this guy is, before anyone else finds out."

"This forest is well taken care of." Abigail said, looking around at the scenery. "I can feel the magic that resides here."

Felicity rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I just want to get out of this place. Just the thought of getting dirt on this outfit is a nightmare."

"You can't always be neat and tidy Felicity." Rachel said.

Catarina smiled a little, making sure to take in every detail of the area. "It's beautiful out here. And Rachel's right Felicity. As a fairy, we never know where we will end up and sometimes you have to get dirty."

"I just want to go back." Felicity said. "This is pointless."

Carmen sighed and stopped in her tracks. "You didn't have to come Felicity. No one forced you to come out here."

"Carmen has a point." Rachel said. "You could have stayed behind, but you chose to come out here. Nature is a true gift and we have to respect it."

Felicity turned away from the others and closed her eyes. "I was already awake. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. Can we head back now?"

"If you want to go back Felicity, go right ahead." Rosella said. "I for one would like to stay out here a little while longer."

Catarina chuckled a little and placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder. "Go on back if you're ready to, but you never know what you might discover out here. How about we go to Lake Roccaluce before heading back?"

"Fine." Felicity said, sighing a little. "I'll go to the lake and no further. My feet are killing me."

The other fairies laughed and started walking in the direction of Lake Roccaluce, not knowing what they would find there. Abigail was hoping to see what sort of plants grew around the water and Carmen was still determined to find the mysterious fairy.

~~~~Next Time~~~~

The Scoutix fairies arrive at the lake, only to find that someone has setup camp there. Meanwhile, classes start at all three schools. The specialists and fairies head to Magix City, only to spied on by a mysterious entity. During this time, another fairy is attacked and her essence taken along with something else very valuable. ~~~~~~